A serious problem in connection with drug preparation, drug administration and other similar handling is the risk that medical and pharmacological staff are exposed to drugs or solvents which might escape into the ambient air. This problem is particularly serious when cytotoxins, antiviral drugs, antibiotics and radiopharmaceuticals are concerned. Other hazardous areas may be sampling taking such as samples concerning virus infections or the like.
For this reason, there has been a need of safer systems for handling and administrating drugs and other medical substances.
Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,054 (Gustavsson) discloses a fluid transfer device for transferring a substance from one vessel to another vessel while avoiding leakage of liquid and gas contaminants. The disclosed device comprises a first member designed as a hollow sleeve and having a piercing member provided with a passageway. The piercing member is attached to the first member which has a first barrier member at one end just opposite the tip of the piercing member. Thereby, the piercing member can be passed and retracted through the first barrier member which seals one end of the first member. The fluid transfer device further comprises a second member which is attached to or attachable to one of the vessels or to means arranged to communicate therewith. The second member has a second barrier member, and mating connection means arranged on the first and second members for providing a releasable locking of the members with respect to each other. The barrier members are liquid and gas-proof sealing members which seal tightly after penetration and retraction of the piercing member and prevent leakage of liquid as well as gas contaminants. In the connected position of the first and second members, the barrier members are located in such a way with respect to each other that the piercing member can be passed therethrough.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,211 discloses a fluid transfer device to which one end a syringe may be connected and to the other end of a mouth or opening of a bottle containing a drug or medicine may be connected. The device comprises a closed chamber having enclosed therein a needle which is in connection with the syringe. Connection members are provided by means of which the mouth or opening of the bottle is steadily connected to the device and means enabling the needle to perforate a seal plug and a small rubber plug mounted on the bottle only when the device is blocked onto the bottle so that in any case it cannot be disconnected therefrom. The device can be disconnected from the bottle only after the needle has been caused to reenter the closed chamber, so as to prevent any possible dripping of the liquid outside of the device. In order to enabling the needle to perforate the seal plug, i.e. to move forward, a rotational movement is required. The connection mechanism uses teeth members which slide in helicoidally elongated slits. The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,211 is therefore not very user friendly since protection gloves may get caught between the teeth members and the slits during this rotational movement.
When performing infusion, it is often necessary to inject a drug or other medical substance into the infusion fluid inside an infusion bag or other infusion fluid container. This is often done by means of penetrating a septum or other fluid barrier of an injection port on the infusion bag or on the infusion fluid line with a needle of a syringe filled with the medical fluid in question. However, even before this it may be necessary to transfer the medical fluid from a vial to a syringe and then from the syringe to a secondary container. In each of these moments staff may be exposed to the medical fluid by means of contamination. Such contamination may be vaporized medical fluid or aerosol in the air. The contaminations may contaminate the staff trough their lungs or vaporized medical fluid or aerosol in the air which condensates on the skin to thereafter penetrate the skin of the staff. Some medicaments are even known to penetrate protection gloves and thereby contaminate the staff.
Exposure of contaminations like this may on a long term basis give rise to alarmingly high concentrations of medicaments in the blood of the just mentioned staff. It has been understood that due to the many transferring steps between e.g. vials, syringes, infusion systems etc. the risk for contamination during the actual insertion and retraction of a needle from e.g. a vial has been underestimated and therefore not properly solved.